1. Background
See FIG. 1. Many firearms 100 have a pivotally mounted hammer strut 116. This is mounted to a pivotally mounted hammer 112 which is actually used to strike a cartridge or an interposed firing pin which then actually strikes the cartridge, thereby actually firing firearm 100. A hammer strut free end 134 is normally actuated or pushed by a hammer spring 124. In many firearms 100, reassembly of firearm 100 is made difficult by the necessity to properly align this hammer strut free end 134 during reassembly of firearm 100.
This reassembly difficulty is especially true in semi-automatic pistols and rifles of the “blowback” design of firearms 100. In these firearms 100, a bolt is “blown” back as a result of the cartridge firing and the expanding gasses pushing the bolt rearward. This is in contrast to other designs wherein the cartridge firing causes a receiver, barrel, or a slide to move rearward. One example of this blowback” design of firearms 100 is multiple iterations of Ruger Mk series of pistols.
FIG. 2 shows the proper alignment of hammer strut free end 134 in its proper position above a crosspin 120. In the Ruger Mk 1, MkII, and MkIII series of firearms 100, this crosspin 120 is a sear spring stop pin. This is the proper alignment of hammer strut free end 134 necessary for proper reassembly of firearm 100, specifically for its proper connection to hammer spring 124, hammer spring assembly 122, or a mating adapter such as a plunger 128, or a cap, adapter, or detent instead of a plunger. A plunger is used in the Ruger Mk series pistols.
Since hammer 112 can rotate upwards about hammer pivot pin 114, it can be seen that upward rotation of hammer 112 can allow hammer strut free end 134 to be raised above crosspin 120 and because of gravity, to fall and rotate into a position underneath crosspin 120, and become trapped in that position, especially if hammer is subsequently rotated back downward.
FIG. 3 clearly shows this entrapment of hammer strut free end 134. If hammer strut free end 134 is below crosspin 120, it will not enter hammer spring plunger 128 or hammer spring assembly 122 and will not be available to power hammer 112 via hammer strut 116.
This prohibits proper reassembly of firearm 100 until this condition is corrected. The proper position of hammer strut free end 134, above crosspin 120 is necessary for proper connection to hammer spring 124, hammer spring assembly 122, or a mating adapter 128 such as the hammer spring plunger 128, or a cap, adapter, or detent used instead of the hammer spring plunger 128.
However, the design of firearm 100 allows reassembly with this entrapment. During reassembly of firearm 100, physical viewing of hammer strut 116 is obscured by hammer spring assembly 122. If reassembly of firearm 100 is completed with hammer strut 116 lodged under crosspin 120, it renders firearm 100 inoperable. It is also then impossible to disassemble firearm 100 to correct this condition until hammer strut 116 is correctly positioned. However, once firearm 100 is assembled, physical and visual access to hammer strut 116 is denied by the physical structure of the weapon.
An entire sequence of manipulations of firearm 100 controls and multiple orientations of firearm 100 are required to enable proper alignment of hammer strut free end 134. All this must be done without visual or physical clues of the actual alignment of hammer strut free end 134. Until corrected, firearm 100 is inoperable.
This generates significant personal frustration and effort. This hammer strut positioning and reassembly problem is well known. Suggested operational techniques on how to regain proper positioning of hammer strut free end 134 are well documented in writing, in many videos, and on the Internet.
However, no one has published a hardware solution to preclude this entrapment of free end of hammer strut 134. All solutions are operational precautions or methodologies attempting either to prevent the event, or to recover after the event has occurred.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:
Pat. No.Kind CodeIssue DatePatenteeU.S. Pat. No. 2,655,839AOct. 20, 1953Ruger, William BU.S. Pat. No. 5,666,755ASep. 16, 1997Dino C Longueira
Patent number U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,839 A, “Blowback Autoloading Pistol”, by William Ruger is for an entire Autoloading Pistol, which led to the Ruger Mk I series of semi-automatic pistols. That patent is for the design of the entire pistol, especially the bolt and it features, the manufacturing methodology of the pistol, and retention of a frame, receiver, and bolt. That specific design does have the disassembly and reassembly problem stated above, pertaining to the required alignment of the free end of hammer strut 134.
Patent number U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,755 A, “Method and apparatus for fast disassembly of blowback autoloading pistol”, by Dino C Longueira, does not attempt to address the reassembly problem if hammer spring 124 or hammer spring assembly 122 is removed, but rather to simplify bolt removal of such a firearm 100 described above. That patent is for a new hammer spring assembly 122 incorporating a new two-piece bolt stop pin 132, and also for a requisite new hammer 112 needed to function with it. Since hammer spring assembly 122 also secures frame 108 to receiver 104, firearm frame 108 and receiver 104 still cannot be separated for cleaning or maintenance without removal of hammer spring assembly 122, which that patent does not address at all. That patent does not remedy hammer strut free end 134 alignment or reassembly problem at all.
Therefore, there is no known published hardware solution to position hammer strut free end 134 properly for reassembly of such firearms 100, if hammer spring 124 or hammer spring assembly 122 has been removed.